Unit 1.

Problem Solving with

Computer

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 Intro
• Number of problems in our daily life.
• Suppose we have to calculate Simple Interest.
• Suppose we have to prepare a mark sheet.

• A computer is a DUMB machine.

• A computer cannot do anything alone without
software i.e. Program

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• A software is a set of programs written to
solve a particular problem

• Software is a set of instructions on the basis of

which computer gives output/result.

• If the instructions are not correct, the

computer gives wrong result.

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 Never Ever Forget
• Just writing code is not sufficient to solve a
problem.

• Program must be planned before coding in

any computer language available.

• There are many activities to be done before

and after writing code.

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 Stages while solving a problem using
computer
1. Problem Analysis
2. Algorithm Development
3. Flowcharting
4. Coding
5. Compilation and Execution
6. Debugging and Testing
7. Documentation

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 Problem Analysis

Algorithm Development

Flowcharting

Program Coding

Compilation and Execution

Debugging and Testing

Documentation

Fig. Steps in problem solving

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 Problem Analysis
• Process of becoming familiar with the problem.

• We need to analyze and understand it well before

solving.

• The user’s requirements cannot be fulfilled without clear

understanding of his/her problem in depth.

• Inadequate identification of problem may cause

program less useful and insufficient.

• Example: Banking Solution, Hospital Medical Study

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 Algorithm Development
• Step By Step description of the method to
solve a problem.

• Effective procedure for solving a problem in

finite number of steps.

• Developing an algorithm is a step of program

design.
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An algorithm to find sum of two numbers:

Step 1: Start

Step 2: Assume two numbers x and y and a variable sum=0

Step 3: Add two numbers x and y; store the value in variable sum

Step 4: If you want to try again with different numbers

then goto step 2
else
goto step 5
Step 5: END

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An algorithm to find sum of two numbers:

Step 1: Start
Step 2: Declare variables num1, num2 and sum.
Step 3: Read values num1 and num2.
Step 4: Add num1 and num2 and assign the result to sum.
sum←num1+num2
Step 5: Display sum Step 6: Stop

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An algorithm to find largest of three different
numbers:

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 Three features of Algorithm
• Sequence
– Each step in the algorithm in executed in specified order. If not
algorithm will fail.
• Decision
– We have to make decision to do something.
– If the outcome of the decision is true, one thing is done otherwise
other.
• If condition then process1
OR
• If condition
then process1
Else process2
• Repetition
– For example
Repeat
Fill Water in the kettle
Until Kettle is full

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 Flowcharting
• Graphical representation of an algorithm using standard
symbols.

• Includes a set of various standard shaped boxes that are

interconnected by flow lines.

• Flow lines have arrows(direction of flow).

• Activities are written within boxes in English.

• Communicates between programmers and business

persons.

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 Advantages of Flowcharts
• Communication
– Quickly provide logic, ideas and descriptions of algorithms.
• Effective Analysis
– Clear overview of the entire problem.
• Proper Documentation
– Documents the steps followed in an algorithm.
– Helps us understand its logic in future.
• Efficient Coding
– More ease with comprehensive flowchart as a guide
• Easy in debugging and program maintenance
– Debugging and maintenance of operating program

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Flowchart Symbols

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 Things to consider
• There should be start and stop to the flowchart.

• Only one flow line should emerge from a

process symbol.

• Only one flow line should enter a decision

symbol, but two or three flow lines can leave
the decision symbol.

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Write an algorithm and draw flowchart for finding the
sum of any two numbers.

Algorithm
-------------
Step1: Start
Step2: Display “Enter two numbers”.
Step3: Read A and B
Step4: C= A+B
Step5: Display “C as sum of two numbers”
Step6: Stop

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 Flowchart
START Start

Read two
Numbers, A and B
Input

C=A+B Processing

Display C as Sum of A and B Output

END End
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Some questions for Assignment

• Write an algorithm and draw flowchart to

determine a number whether it is positive or
negative.

• Write an algorithm and draw flowchart to test

a number for even or odd.

• Write an algorithm and draw flowchart to find

the largest number among three numbers.
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• Read N numbers from user and display sum of
all entered numbers.
• For finding the sum of the series 1+2+3+4+…
up to N terms
• For calculating the factorial of a given number
N.

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 Coding
• The process of transforming the program logic design into
computer language format.

• An act of transforming operations in each box of the flowchart

in terms of the statement of the program.

• The code written using programming language is also known

as source code.

• Coding isn’t the only task to be done to solve a problem using

computer.

• Anyone can code. TRUST ME!!

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 Compilation
• Process of changing high level language into machine level
language.

• It is done by special software, COMPILER

• The compilation process tests the program whether it

contains syntax errors or not.

• If syntax errors are present, compiler can not compile the

code.

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 Execution
• Once the compilation is completed then the program
is linked with other object programs needed for
execution, there by resulting in a binary program and
then the program is loaded in the memory for the
purpose of execution and finally it is executed.

• The program may ask user for inputs and generates

outputs after processing the inputs.

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 Debugging and Testing
• Debugging is the discovery and correction of
programming errors.

• Some errors may remain in the program because the

designer/programmer might have never thought
about a particular case.

• When error appears debugging is necessary.

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 Debugging and Testing
• Testing ensures that program performs correctly the
required task.

• Verification ensures that program does what the

programmer intends to do.

• Validation ensures that the program produces the

correct results for a set of test data.

• Test data are supplied to the program and output is

observed.

• Expected output = Error free

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 Program Documentation
• Helps to those who use, maintain and extend the
program in future.

• A program may be difficult to understand even to

programmer who wrote the code after some
days.

• Properly documented program is necessary

which will be useful and efficient in debugging,
testing, maintenance and redesign process.
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 Two types of documentations

1. Programmer’s Documentation (Technical

Documentation)
• Maintain, redesign and upgrade
• Logic, DFD, E-R, algorithm and flowchart
2. User Documentation (User Manual)
• Support to the user of the program
• Instructions for installation of the program

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 Computer Program
and
Programming Language

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 Computer Program
• Set of instructions that causes to behave in predetermined
manner.

• To instruct a computer to perform a certain job, we need

languages, but not English or Nepali(!!!FOR NOW!!!).

• We need languages understood by the computer.

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 Types or levels of Programming
Languages
• High Level

• Low-level
– Machine Level
– Assembly Level

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 Low Level Language
• Statement or instruction is directly translated
into a single machine code.

• It is machine dependent, i.e. A particular low-

level language works only for a certain
machine.

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 Machine-level Language
• Language that a computer actually understands.
• 1’s and 0’s.
• Is a sequence of instructions written in the form of
binary numbers consisting of 1’s and 0’s
• It executes fast as computer don’t need any
translation.

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• To add two number in machine language:

11 10111001 110
3 machine code for addition (say) 6

• It is difficult to remember different instructions for

programming.

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 Machine Level Language
ADVANTAGE DISADVANTAGE
Computer directly understands machine Difficult to use
instructions
Directly starts executing Machine dependent
Takes less execution time Difficult to Debug and modify

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 Assembly Language
• Symbolic representation(mnemonics) of machine code.

• Close to machine code but the computer cannot understand

• Must be translated into machine code by a separate program

called an assembler.

11 ADD 110
– Suppose ADD is mnemonic for addition

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 Some examples of instructions for
assembly languages are as follows:
CODE Meaning
ADD Addition
SUB Subtraction
INR Increase
DCR Decrease
CMP Compare

It is relatively easy for writing programs in assembly

languages, but is slow in execution as it has to be
converted into machine language before execution.

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 Assembly language
Advantage Disadvantage
More convenient than machine language Hard to remember Mnemonics
Symbolic instructions Machine dependent
Improved readability Less efficient than machine language
Need fewer codes than high level
language
Embedded systems and device
programming

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 High Level Language

• User friendly, Similar to natural languages

• Platform independent
• Easy to write or remember
• Easy to learn and work
• While execution: translated into assembly language then to
machine language.
• Slow in execution but is efficient for developing programs.
• Ex: C, C++, Python, Java etc.

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 High Level Language
Advantages Disadvantages
Easy to use More execution time
Portability Needs own translator
Easy Debugging
Easy and Fast Development of software

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 Compiler
• A high level source program must be translated into a form machine
can understand. This done by software called the compiler.

• Source code => Machine language code(Object code)

• During the process of translation, the compiler reads the source

programs statement-wise and checks for syntax errors.

• In case of any error, the computer generates message about the

error.

• Ex: C, C++, Java, FORTRAN, pascal etc.

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 Interpreter
• Like compiler, it is also a translator which translates high level
to machine level language.

• Translates and executes the program line by line.

• Each line is checked for syntax error and then converted to

the equivalent machine code.

• Ex. QBASIC, PERL, PHP, ASP, PYTHON, RUBY

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 Difference between compiler and interpreter
Compiler Interpreter
Compiler scans the entire program before Interpreter translates and executes the
translating it into machine code program line by line

Syntax errors are found only after the Syntax errors can be trapped after
compilation of complete programs translations of every line

It takes large amount of time to analyze It takes less amount of time to analyze the
the source code but the overall execution source code but the overall execution
time is comparatively faster. time is slower.

Generates intermediate object code No intermediate object code is generated,

which further requires linking, hence hence are memory efficient.
requires more memory.

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Overview to C Programming

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• We can assume C as middle level language

• This doesn’t mean C is less power full or harder to use or less developed.

• Instead C combines the advantages of high level language with the

functionalism of assembly language.

• Like high level, C provides block structures, stand-alone functions and

small amount of data typing.

• Like assembly language, it allows manipulations of bits, bytes, pointers

and it is mostly used in system programming.

• Combination of two aspects.

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 History of C programming language
• C is a programming language which was born at “AT & T’s Bell
Laboratory” of USA in 1972.

• C was written by Dennis Ritchie, that’s why he is also called as

father of C programming language.

• C language was created for a specific purpose i.e. designing the

UNIX operating system (which is currently base of many UNIX based
OS).

• From the beginning, C was intended to be useful to allow busy

programmers to get things done because C is such a powerful,
dominant and supple language.

• It’s use quickly spread beyond Bell Labs in the late 70’s

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 Why use C?
• Robust Language
• Efficient and fast
• Highly portable
• Structured Language
• Extendibility
• Middle level language
• Rich system library

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Executing a C Program

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Basic Structure of C Program

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1. Documentation Section
• Sets of comment line giving the name of
program, the author, algorithms, methods
used and other details.
• Acts as a communication between members
of the development team.
• Acts as user manual.
• Ex
– /* This program adds two numbers */
– /*…. */ denotes comments in C

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2. Link Section
- Provides Instructions to the compiler to link
functions with program from the system library.

#include<stdio.h>
- Links input/output functions like printf() and
scanf() with the program

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3. Definition Section
- In this section all symbolic constants are
defined.
- Ex.
- #define PI 3.1416
- #define FORMULA 3*x*x*x+2*x*x

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4. Global Declaration Section
- The variables which are used in more than
one functions or blocks are called global
variables.

- This section also declares all the user-defined

functions.

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5. main() Function Section
- Every C program starts with a main() function.
- Declaration part and executable part

- Declaration part declares all the variables used in

the execution part.
- int n1;
- int n2=5;

- Execution part has executable operations like:

- n1= n1 +1;
- n2=n1*5

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6. Subprogram Section
- This section contains all the user-defined
functions that are called in the main function.

- All the sections except the main function

section may be absent when they are not
required.

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 Note
• For Assignments And Lecture Slides
https://github.com/ashim888/csit-c
http://www.ashimlamichhane.com.np/

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